To Please a Lady
by WickedForGood13
Summary: When Marian goes through with her marriage to Guy, she learns that appearances can be deceiving and that first impressions are not always accurate.


I've always enjoyed the story of Robin Hood. My favorite telling of the tale is the 1952 movie starring Richard Todd. (Incidentally, the title for this story comes from a line in that same movie.) So it was inevitable that I would discover BBC's Robin Hood. And yet, while I enjoy the show as a whole, I don't actually like the character of Robin Hood all that much. Granted, I can't seem to get past the first season and so have only seen those thirteen episodes. Maybe it gets better. I'll find out someday, I imagine.

This story came to me after watching Richard Armitage in various other performances, most notably _The Vicar of Dibley_, _North and South_, and _MI-5/Spooks_. Now, I know that Guy of Gisborne has major faults, but I believe that what we are shown is a mask, and by merging his character with that of Harry Kennedy (_The Vicar of Dibley_), I hope to have made him more sympathetic – to both Marian and my readers. Enjoy!

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**To Please a Lady**

"I'm the Night Watchman."

Marian's statement was met with silence. Her new husband, Guy of Gisborne, could only stare at her in shock before crossing the room in a few paces to loom over her. Staring intently into her face, he nodded once, as if answering some unasked question, before retreating to the bed and sinking heavily onto the mattress.

"You—" he began, pointing an accusing finger at her. Upon noticing that his hand was shaking, Guy dropped his arm, loath to show any sign of weakness in front of his wife, the woman he adored and loved more than life itself. "Good God, I could have killed you, Marian!" he cried, suddenly surging to his feet and beginning to pace back and forth in front of her. "I stabbed you with a dagger; I drew blood, I know I did—"

"And that's exactly why I wanted to tell you, personally, instead of letting you find out for yourself on our wedding night," said Marian, smoothly interrupting his diatribe.

"Why did you agree to marry me?" asked Guy after a few moments silence, during which he retreated back to the bed and sought to calm his racing heart. "If you're the Night Watchman, then you're against everything that the Sheriff and I stand for. Every time I came to visit, you were always so eager to be rid of me. Why agree to a marriage when you can hardly stand my presence?"

"Because I believed your feelings for me to be genuine," Marian revealed. "I saw a side to you that I imagine hardly anyone else has ever been privileged to see. You can be a good man, Guy, I know it. Why throw your lot in with the Sheriff when you're now wed with lands and titles of your own?"

"The Sheriff offered me power and prestige when I could ill afford to turn it down. He's now sunk his claws in so deep that I doubt I could shake him loose with the entire force of King Richard at my back!"

Marian had remained standing throughout hers and Guy's conversation. Truth be told, she had been afraid to approach for fear of him lashing out at her. Now, though, she crossed the room and sank to her knees in front of her lord husband. Taking his hands in hers, she gave them a gentle squeeze, smiling reassuringly at Guy when he appeared startled by her actions.

"Guy, I'm not saying that you should openly defy the Sheriff and side with Robin Hood. But work within the confines of the law to make life easier for those affected by the Sheriff's cruel tyranny. That's what I tried to tell Robin when he first returned, but fool that he is – or child that he is; I'm not sure if there's a difference between the two – he refused to see reason and listen to me. What will you do, Guy?"

Raising Marian up to her feet and guiding her to sit next to him, Guy raised their clasped hands to his lips and lightly kissed her knuckles. "We are man and wife, and as such are bound to each other. There's still time for you to change your mind, though. Our marriage can be annulled if it's not consummated." Guy couldn't suppress the flash of hurt at seeing Marian's startled expression. Clearly, then, she had expected something different from him, more along the lines of what the Sheriff would have planned had he been joined with Marian in holy matrimony.

He sought to clarify his position: "I never planned to take you by force. I wanted our union to be your choice. I have no desire to rule you as most men would their wives. I know you'd only rebel should I attempt to assert any measure of control over you. You are your own woman, Marian, and that's one of the many things I admire about you."

For a moment, Marian could only stare at Guy, much as he had at her following her declaration that she was the Night Watchman. Then she suddenly surged forward to connect their lips, kissing him fiercely. Guy gasped and his mouth opened readily under Marian's assault. Although they had kissed during the ceremony earlier that day, it had been chaste and devoid of passion. _This_ kiss completely eclipsed _that_ kiss, and was as different from the other as night from day.

"Marian, are you sure?" Guy asked once they had finally broken apart. "I've done some terrible things, unforgiveable things. My only excuse is that I acted to save my own hide. Are you sure that you want to sully yourself with me?"

"I won't say that I love you – not yet," Marian began, carefully considering her words as she never had before. "But you saved my father today, and for that I'm grateful. Not that I kissed you just for that. But I haven't taken the time to thank you properly yet. No, I kissed you because you are the first person to truly understand me. Neither my father nor Robin has ever even pretended to understand my drive for independence and equality. But you, Guy – you do. And for that I'm willing to give you a chance."

"I will try my utmost to be worthy of you," Guy whispered as he bowed his head over Marian's hands.

"Would you have taken your due as my husband if we hadn't had this conversation?" asked Marian tentatively after several moments spent in contemplative silence.

"No, never," Guy hastened to assure her. "I want to honor you, not treat you as if your only purpose is for my pleasure and to produce offspring."

Marian smiled at his choice of wording and leaned in to kiss his cheek. "Thank you," she whispered, wrapping her arms more fully around his neck and clinging to him. Guy responded in kind, burying his face in Marian's hair and breathing deeply. All while courting her and during their engagement he had expected for her to back out; he had never dared to hope that their marriage would actually take place and that they would reach this point where they were comfortable being this intimate with each other. Marian was a gift from God to as unworthy a sinner as Guy was, and he didn't plan on wasting the time they'd been given. He intended to do whatever it took to redeem himself in Marian's eyes. If she requested that he give up the comforts of home and hearth to move into the forest to live as an outlaw, then he would do so. Her wish was his command.

"Shall we go to bed now?" Guy asked softly, having felt Marian go limp in his arms. "We've both had a long day and could do with some rest."

"Yes, all right," said Marian, acquiescing with a small yawn.

Each undressed and changed into their nightclothes with their backs turned to the other. Comfortable they might be, but not with _that_ level of intimacy – not yet, at least. They returned to stand on either side of the bed and turned down the sheets, climbing beneath the covers and adjusting their bodies so as to accommodate another person. Guy slept closest to the door, his sword nearby, ready at a moment's notice to spring up in defense of his home and loved one. Marian, her injury still tender, carefully arranged herself on her side, smiling when Guy's arm wound around her waist, tightening infinitesimally in a protective hold. She felt safer with Guy than she ever had with Robin, whose style of fighting was more than a little bit flashy, leaving him – and those he was fighting for – open to attack. Not Guy, though. Guy fought to get the job done rather than to show off to anyone.

"Goodnight," Guy whispered, kissing the side of Marian's neck and smiling to himself when his actions prompted a shiver from his lady wife.

"Goodnight, Guy," Marian whispered back, sinking further into his embrace and letting sleep take her.

When she woke the next morning, the sun was shining through the windows and Guy's arms were still securely around her middle. Twisting within the confines of her husband's formidable grip, Marian turned to face him and observed how his features were softened in sleep, making him seem less foreboding than his appearance normally suggested. At that moment, his eyelids fluttered before fully opening, and he was greeted with the sight of an angel gazing back at him.

"You're really here," he murmured softly. "Then yesterday wasn't a dream."

"No, it certainly wasn't," Marian replied, surprised by the wonder in his tone, as though he had actually expected for her to have disappeared during the night.

"May I hold you for just a little longer?" he asked tentatively, still expecting for her to refuse his advances despite their discussion the previous evening.

"Of course, Guy," said Marian, shifting closer and allowing him to take her more fully in his arms.

They lay together for several minutes longer, basking in the sun and each other's presence. If Marian had ever been told that she would one day come to enjoy spending time with Guy – and in their marriage bed, no less – she would have laughed till she cried. For so long she had thought that the front that Guy presented for everyone to see was who he really was. But now she knew differently. He didn't enjoy doing the Sheriff's bidding, and only killed as many people as he had to save his own neck from the hangman's noose. He forgave her for deceiving him as to her identity as the Night Watchman; and though he hadn't said as much in so many words, she knew that he would keep her secret and support her in whatever manner he could.

In danger of falling back to sleep, Marian propped herself up on one arm and raised her other hand to lightly stroke Guy's silky black locks. His eyes closed and a tender smile played across his face as he leaned into her touch, moaning under his breath at the feelings she elicited in him. In response, Marian bent forward to kiss his forehead before moving further south to connect their lips. While she might not feel comfortable telling Guy that she loved him yet, she could still enjoy kissing him, an act that caused heat to pool in her belly. She wondered what it meant, that a man she used to merely tolerate, while secretly loathing him, could stir such emotions in her.

"We should start our day, Guy," Marian whispered after several moments of intense kissing. "It wouldn't do to anger the Sheriff so soon after what Robin did to him."

"Vaisey doesn't expect me until tomorrow," Guy revealed. "I imagine he thinks I'll spend my time off having my wicked way with you." He smirked at Marian and waggled his eyebrows, to which she laughed lightly.

"And what do you have planned instead?" she asked.

"I thought you might like to take a couple of the horses and have a picnic," he said.

"Oh, I'd love to, Guy. That sounds wonderful!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around him and squeezing his neck tightly.

"Good, I'm glad," he replied, kissing her cheek before abruptly lifting her from the bed and carrying her to the washroom, her tinkling laugh filling his ears and setting his heart to racing. "I'll leave you to get ready, while I make all the arrangements," he said, bending to kiss Marian's cheek again before taking his leave of her.

"Guy," she called after him. Once he had returned to face her, she smiled sweetly at him and said, "Thank you."

"My pleasure, dear," he responded with a cheeky smile and a wink before departing. Her laughter followed him back into the bedroom, where he made a shallow cut along the crease of his elbow and dribbled blood on the bed sheet so that when the maids entered to clean the room it would appear as though he and Marian had consummated their marriage. After wrapping his wound, he then made his way downstairs to the kitchen, where he left instructions with the cook to pack them a picnic lunch, before heading out to the stables where his own destrier and the palfrey he had given to Marian as a courting gift were housed. In the midst of tacking up their horses for the proposed picnic, Marian joined Guy, having fetched his sword for him and brought her own along, as well.

"One can never be _too_ prepared," she remarked, "And as you well know, I'm perfectly capable of handling a sword."

"Yes, I do seem to recall one or two occasions on which we crossed blades – unknowingly on my part, I assure you," Guy fired back, eliciting a laugh from Marian.

"Perhaps we can practice together sometime," she suggested. "I'm always willing to improve. And now that you know my secret..."

"I'm happy to do whatever I can," Guy assured her. "Be that sparring with you or posting guards where I know you're _not_ going to be."

"You'd do that? For me?" Marian was stunned by such an offer, and the lengths that Guy was clearly willing to go to protect her.

"You're my wife, Marian, and even if you weren't, I'd do anything to keep you safe."

"I'm flattered, Guy – truly," said Marian quietly. "Thank you. I had no idea... Apparently, I still have much to learn about you."

"And I you, as evidence by your nocturnal activities," Guy replied.

Marian laughed, but it was weak-sounding, and she moved to wrap her arms around Guy's waist, her head coming to rest above his heart. "Do you really think we can make it?" she asked, sounding more like a child than her confidence and out-going nature would ordinarily suggest.

"I hope so," Guy replied, his voice thick from fighting back tears on account of what he was about to say. "I know that I've done many cruel things at the Sheriff's behest when I could have refused and taken my chances alone. Most notably being my attack of the King at Acre. But I'm not a sadist, Marian, unlike the Sheriff. I don't enjoy killing and torturing people who I know are innocent. But is it so wrong to look out for myself? To see to it that I live for one more day to do what good I can in my position?"

"Oh, Guy," Marian sighed, and if he hadn't known her better, he would have sworn that Marian's sigh was the sound of her giving up on him. "I'd be worried if you _didn't_ have a sense of self-preservation. But that's why you married me – at least, partly – isn't it? You feel guilty and want absolution."

"Yes," Guy whispered breathily. "God help me, but yes, that was one of my reasons for marrying you. The other, of course, is because I love you."

"I know." Marian reached up on the tips of her toes to kiss Guy's cheek, resting her chin on his shoulder before pressing her lips to the corner of Guy's mouth. "We'll make it," she said once she was on level ground again and facing him fully; and her words held a ring of truth to them that Guy was hard-pressed to doubt. "But I refuse to be your conscious, Guy; you have to put in the effort yourself. I may not have entered this marriage completely willing, but now that I've made my bed, I have to lie in it, for which I'm going to need your help."

"Anything," Guy promised her. "I'll work hard to please you, Marian, you know I will. Whatever you want from me, it's yours. _I'm_ yours, Marian, from this day forward."

"Then will you play nice with Robin and stop hunting him like an animal?" asked Marian, knowing that this would be the hardest wish for Guy to grant. "He _is_ my childhood friend, after all, and we _were_ once engaged."

Guy raised his eyes heavenward, as if praying for guidance. "Very well," he said at last. "Though there might be bad blood between us, I will leave him alone – for your sake. And if the Sheriff orders me to pursue him, then I will only put a token effort in to finding him."

"Thank you, Guy!" exclaimed Marian, once more throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him full-on the mouth.

"Now that's the kind of appreciation I like!" Guy teased, chuckling when Marian blushed a bright red. "I'm glad I can make you happy, Marian," he said more seriously. "I like being able to put a smile on your face and make you laugh."

"There's something different about you when it's just the two of us," Marian mused, "Almost as if you're more natural when you're with me."

"I like to think that you bring out my better side," Guy admitted. "Will you continue to do so?"

"Until death us do part," Marian vowed.

Framing Marian's face between his two hands, and stroking her cheek with the pads of his thumbs, Guy brought their faces closer together until they were once more kissing. Marian, meanwhile, rested her hands on Guy's arms – the better to pull him in closer as they continued to trade air and their tongues did battle.

"Guy," she whispered, breathlessly. "I think... I think I love you."

"Really?" Guy was momentarily stunned speechless. Although Marian had already admitted to being stirred by him, he hadn't dared hope that she would ever feel as strongly for him as he did for her. "Marian, that's wonderful!" he exclaimed. "But... what changed?"

"I'm not sure if anything did. I think my feelings for you were already there; I just didn't recognize them for what they were."

"Well, whatever the cause, I'm glad."

"Me too," said Marian, smiling shyly up at him. "Will you take me on that ride, now?"

"I'd be delighted," Guy said gallantly, leading both their horses outside the stable and holding out his hand for Marian to take. Once he had helped her into the saddle – not that she _needed_ any help, per se; they both just wanted an excuse to touch the other, now that they knew they felt the same – he mounted his own steed, and together they rode off into the surrounding countryside.

They'd been riding in silence for several minutes when they came to an open stretch of field. Glancing coyly over at Guy, Marian called out, "I'll race you to the other side," and took off.

Laughing aloud, Guy gave his horse his head and bent low in the saddle, following after Marian until they were neck and neck. As they approached the tree line, Marian pulled enough ahead of Guy to claim the victory. They came to a stop, then, both horses and humans breathing heavily from their recent exertion.

"That was... fun," said Guy, stumbling over his words as though he didn't quite know how to describe what he'd just experienced.

"You should let loose more often," Marian advised.

Guy smiled, inclining his head in response to her statement, and took the lead, guiding Marian through the woodland paths to a clearing he had stumbled upon one day while pursuing Robin. "I've wanted to take you here since the moment I laid eyes on it," he explained, swinging down from his saddle to approach Marian's horse and holding out his arms to accept her weight as she slid down to level ground again.

"It's beautiful, Guy," she whispered, looking around in wonder.

Sunlight dappled the ground, shining through the tree branches and leaves that formed a circle around Marian and Guy. Dropping her horse's reins, Marian walked forward, cautiously, to explore. The surrounding woods were silent, broken only by the occasional birdsong. What Guy had found was the perfect sanctuary, where both could come to escape when the madness of their world got to be too much.

Marian turned to face Guy again and threw her arms around him, clinging tightly to his neck. "Thank you, Guy," she whispered in his ear, "For finding this place and for bringing me here."

"You are most welcome, my dear," Guy replied, returning her embrace with a smile. Pulling back far enough to bestow a kiss on Marian's freckled nose, Guy said, "Come – let's get the picnic set up."

Returning to their horses, the pair fetched a blanket and the basket filled with food that the cook had prepared. Spreading the blanket on the ground, they began doling out the food: fresh meat, fruit, bread, and cheese, as well as a small flask of wine.

"A feast fit for royalty!" Guy proclaimed, holding the flask aloft and toasting Marian, who laughed and blushed prettily at the implications of his statement.

Having eaten her fill, Marian leaned against her husband's side, further relaxing into his embrace when she felt his arm wrap around her waist. "This is nice," she murmured tiredly, the food having made her sleepy. "We should do this more often."

"I hope we can," said Guy, pressing a kiss to the top of her head and leaning more fully against the tree at his back.

They'd been dozing for just a few minutes when an arrow came whistling through the air and imbedded itself in the tree trunk directly above Guy's head. Both were awake instantly, and looking around for the cause of their disturbance.

"Well, isn't this a cozy gathering?" a taunting voice sounded from the trees up ahead. "Mind if I join?"

"Robin!" Marian growled under her breath, her customary smile replaced by a scowl.

"I think you'll find, _Hood_," Guy snarled, "That there are two of us, and one of you. Unless, of course, you've brought your little _gang_ along."

"Although I highly doubt they would condone this venture," Marian joined in, "Disturbing a married couple when the woman has made her feelings on the subject matter clear isn't like you."

"You don't mean to say that you're actually happy with _him_, are you?" asked Robin, incredulous, finally showing himself with his bow drawn and an arrow nocked, ready to be loosed.

"That's exactly what I mean," said Marian, rising to her feet and tugging Guy along with her. "Everything is a choice, Robin Hood, and I've made mine. Now leave us be!"

"You can't be serious!" Robin exclaimed.

"Oh, but I am," Marian replied, striding confidently towards him with a gleam in her eyes that made Robin shift nervously in place. "Now, I suggest you heed my warning before I forget myself and our past friendship. Guy has promised to no longer pursue you and the others, and to only put in a token effort when the Sheriff requires it of him. Take this as the peace offering it is and leave."

"How can you betray everything you've ever stood for to sully yourself with him?" asked Robin, gesturing with his bow towards where Guy was still standing. "Or have you forgotten what he's done? To you? To the king?"

"No, I bloody well haven't forgotten, Robin Hood," said Marian, fast losing her patience with her former-fiancé. "I was there in the clearing when you were torturing him on account of Acre. If it hadn't been for my intervention, you most likely would have killed him and then never have gotten Djaq back. And as for him stabbing me, he knows all about the Night Watchman and has agreed to keep my secret." Chest heaving from suppressed anger towards her would-be lover, Marian glared at Robin. "Now, any other questions I can answer? Or will a demonstration of my swordsmanship finally convince you to leave?"

"You agreed to his proposal under duress. How can you defend him now?" asked Robin, genuinely curious as to Marian's answer.

"Because I realized that I love him, not that it's any concern of yours," came Marian's swift reply. "We've consummated our marriage, and there's nothing you can do about it. And if you even _think_ of trying to make me a widow, then I will turn you in to the Sheriff myself, our past be damned. Am I understood?"

Robin glared defiantly at her, his gaze hardening even further at the sight of Gisborne moving to stand beside her in a show of support, before stalking back off into the woods.

"Well, that was taxing," said Marian, her shoulders relaxing upon Robin's swift departure. Guy, however, remained tense as a bowstring beside her. "Guy, what's wrong?"

"You were... there?" he whispered. "When Hood and I were fighting after our engagement party?"

"Yes. Much came to fetch me, worried that one of you would kill the other."

"Then you know what my mission was – to kill the King – and how I'm the reason Hood was sent home wounded."

"I gathered as much," Marian replied succinctly.

"Yet you married me anyway. If you know my faults, why did you lie about the state of our marriage?" Guy wondered.

"To convince Robin that I'm serious about you, and to hopefully get him to leave us alone. Besides, I imagine that we'll be consummating our marriage soon enough," said Marian with a roguish wink.

"Is that so, my lady?" asked Guy, his hands reaching for Marian's hips and pulling her flush against him so that she could feel his arousal.

"Take me, Guy; _please_," she begged him, her voice breathless with excitement.

"What? Right here, right now?"

"Yes."

"And suppose someone discovers us?" he asked, wondering at Marian's sudden lack of propriety.

"Honestly, my lord, where's your sense of adventure?"

"Well, when you put it that way..." he allowed his voice to trail off suggestively.

Sensing her impending victory, Marian led him by the hand back to the location of their picnic, laying down on the blanket and gesturing for Guy to join her. He did so, propping himself up on his elbow so as to look down at her and brushing back a stray lock of hair, his hand straying to stroke her cheek and trace the outline of her lips.

"Marian, are you sure?" he asked, speaking barely above a whisper.

"Yes, Guy, I am," Marian replied, voice equally as soft.

Without further ado, Guy lowered his head to capture Marian's lips with his. Her arms wound around his neck, pulling him further down and crushing their bodies together, while she buried her hands in his hair, tugging and pulling in encouragement. Where Marian was almost brutal in her enthusiasm, Guy was gentle and caring, treating Marian as though she were made of glass. He worshipped her mouth, supplicating himself at the altar of her love.

Loathe as he was to do so, Guy was eventually forced to pull away, stifling a chuckle at Marian's high-pitched keen of disappointment. "We have to take our clothes off, love," he whispered softly to her. "Otherwise this little tryst isn't going anywhere."

Marian immediately went for the buttons to his leather jacket, unbuckling and quickly shedding him of the garment. He bent to remove his boots, and was surprised to find Marian sitting demurely, waiting for him to make the next move. Obviously reading the shock in his expression, she explained, "I'm new to this, and I'd rather follow your lead."

A genuine smile lit up Guy's face at her pronouncement. It was rare for Marian to ask anything of him – of anyone, really. She was so self-reliant. As such, he would be happy to take the lead in this instance and show her the ins and outs of making love, never forgetting that her needs came first. Since she had agreed to marry him, his only thought had been to please her; and that hadn't changed simply because of a ceremony declaring them to be man and wife.

"As you wish," he whispered, brushing their lips together once, before peppering kisses across her cheeks and down the side of her neck. He was rewarded by a delighted shiver that encouraged him to continue his ministrations. However, he had found that prolonging his partner's climax often proved to enhance the overall experience; so he pulled back and removed his shirt, leaving him in nothing but his trousers with his chest bare. Marian was entranced by the sight, and carefully placed a trembling hand over one of his nipples. Guy sucked in a breath, prompting Marian to immediately retract her hand. However, Guy caught her wrist, encouraging her to continue her exploration.

Marian's breath was shallow as she traced the contours of Guy's chest. She'd never been this close to a man who was practically naked before! It was thrilling, in an embarrassing kind of way. Although Marian knew that it was permitted for a woman to touch her husband – even expected – she couldn't help but feel uncomfortable, ashamed almost, at this compulsion to touch Guy that she had never before acknowledged.

Guy took her in his arms, then, and held her close, as though she were something precious. He began to slowly, almost reverently, remove her dress and shoes, until she was in nothing but her shift. His eyes drank in the sight of her for many moments, before he eventually roused himself enough to take off his own undergarments and then hers. At last they were bared to one another. His eyes immediately sought and found the wound he had inflicted upon her several nights previous, and he lowered his mouth to the puckered seam as though he could heal her with a magic kiss like in the fairy tales they had been read as children.

When he finally entered her – skin sliding against slick skin – she cried out in ecstasy, her nails raking down his spine as she lost herself in the passion of their coupling. Their kisses were sloppy as their climax approached, and when Guy finally came inside her, he bit down on her shoulder to stifle his scream of pleasure. Afterwards, he collapsed on top of Marian and held her even closer to his chest.

"I never imagined that lovemaking could possibly feel like _that_!" Marian exclaimed breathlessly.

"You are... happy, aren't you?" asked Guy, hesitantly.

"Of course," she replied instantly. Shifting within his embrace, she turned to regard him seriously, and almost gasped aloud at the sight of tears swimming in his eyes. "Guy, what's wrong?"

His grip on her merely tightened as he struggled to find the right words with which to answer her. Marian remained silent, though she was puzzled as to his response to their coupling. She'd known that he desired her – he had made no secret of _that_ – but why would he be reduced to tears in the aftermath of what he had long sought to possess?

"It was... good, for you?" Guy asked at last. Before Marian could even form a response, he had continued speaking, "It's just – I know that the initial pain of a man and a woman's union stings, and I want to make sure that your pleasure outweighed any discomfort you may have experienced."

"You were wonderful, Guy," said Marian, reaching out a hand to cup his cheek and smiling tenderly at him. Although she was troubled by his sudden insecurity, she was willing to stoke his ego if he would stop looking at her like she would disappear at any moment, as though she were a gift that would be snatched away from him if he so much as blinked. "I admit that our coupling hurt at first, but you took very good care of me. I couldn't have asked for a better partner."

Guy released a breath that Marian hadn't been aware he was holding. "Then you won't leave me?" he asked quietly, almost as though he were hoping that she wouldn't hear his question, if only so that he wouldn't have to hear her answer.

"No, never," Marian assured him. "As I've said before, I may not have entered this marriage entirely willing, but now that I have you I'm never letting you go."

"You don't know how pleased I am to hear you say that," said Guy.

"Did I do this to you, with all of my trickery and deceit and manipulation?" Marian wondered aloud, horrified by the thought that she could have reduced Guy to a mere shadow of the front she now saw that he put on for everyone.

"I don't deserve you," Guy went on, as though he hadn't heard Marian's query. "I've seen and done too much to ever hope to be cleansed of all my sins, even with you on my side."

"Oh, Guy." Marian took him in her arms, then, and held him to her breast, stroking his hair and cooing to him as she would a babe. "The past may weigh on _your_ mind, but it doesn't on mine. What matters is who you are now, not who you once were."

"You're too good for me," he whispered, burying his face in the crook of her neck as his salty tears stained her skin, burning hot against the rapidly forming bruise on her shoulder where he had bitten her in a fit of passion.

"Enough of this nonsense, Guy," Marian scolded him. "I won't have my husband feeling sorry for himself when he can go out and actually do something to improve people's lives around here. I know you don't like always being seen as the bad guy, but the only way to change people's impression of you is to show them that you're committed to making their lives better. And, of course, it'll help when I make my rounds as the Night Watchman and people realize that I'm now Lady Gisborne and that I have my husband's full support." She paused for a moment and looked down at Guy, only to find a myriad of emotions playing across his face as he gazed steadily back at her, fondness and amusement being most evident. "You will support me, won't you? You aren't going to forbid me to continue my _nocturnal activities_?" She smirked at him, hoping to ease the tension by repeating his words from earlier.

"No, Marian, I wouldn't dream of forbidding you to do anything that you had your heart set on doing. And even if I did, I know you'd only follow your own path, regardless of whether I'd given my permission or not. You always get what you want, don't you, one way or another?"

"Too right you are," Marian replied, her fierce expression momentarily startling Guy before her features softened to a more natural smile. She leaned forward to press their lips together, gripping his face securely between her two slender hands. When she pulled back, both were left with stunned expressions on their faces. Marian recovered first, whispering to Guy, "It's getting late. We should head home before it gets dark. Don't you agree?"

"Home sounds like a wonderful idea," Guy replied, still sounding slightly dazed.

"Then shouldn't we be getting dressed?" Marian inquired, sounding far too innocent for a woman laying naked on a blanket with her equally-naked husband in the middle of a forest glade.

Without a word, Guy rose to his feet and covered Marian with the remainder of the blanket. "Wait for me, and then I'll help you," he told her. Nodding once, she watched in fascination as he gathered his clothes together and began to cover all the bare skin that only minutes before she had been mapping with her hands, tongue, and lips. Returning, Guy raised Marian to her feet and began dressing her: lowering her shift over her head and pausing to kiss the back of her neck; helping her step into her dress and buttoning up the back; even dropping to his knees and lacing up her boots for her.

When he stood level with Marian once more, her smile was warm and tinged with understanding. "Thank you, Guy," she said cordially, twining their fingers together and raising his hand to her lips.

Guy said nothing, merely smiled at her and bent his head to brush their lips together. Escorting her over to the horses, he held the reins of Marian's palfrey as she mounted, only then swinging into the saddle of his own steed. They made their way home in silence, exchanging covert glances all the while. When they rode into the courtyard at Locksley, they were greeted by the twinkle of candles lining the window sill, and Guy's steward came forward to take their horses.

"Did you have a pleasant day, sir, madam? There's a delicious dinner waiting for you; the other servants and I thought that you'd be hungry after your long ride earlier."

"Thank you, Thornton," Guy replied with a genuine smile as he threw his leg over his mount, leaping to the ground and immediately moving to assist Marian, placing his hands at her waist and supporting her weight as she slid down from the saddle. She smiled, tugging him closer by the elbows and then tilting her face towards his until he lowered his head to meet her lips, and they were kissing.

Closing her eyes, Marian briefly rested her head in the crook of Guy's neck before stepping back out of temptation's reach. "Husband, we should go inside before the food gets cold," she whispered breathlessly, her face flushing an endearing shade of red at the use of the word 'husband' in reference to Guy.

He smiled back at her, delighted that a woman such as her had not only accepted him, but even appeared to be happy with her choice of spouse. "So we should, wife," he rejoined, offering her his arm and leading her to the dining table where he pulled out her chair for her. Waiting until she was seated, he then dismissed the servants for the evening and instead chose to serve Marian himself, wanting to show her that he was serious about pleasing her in whatever capacity she desired of him.

They talked quietly, holding hands and occasionally feeding each other tasty morsels. It had struck them both that despite having been acquainted for several years, there was a surprising amount that they didn't know about the other. And so they shared the small details that made up a life, talking about their past as well as sharing their hopes and dreams for the future. Marian discovered that Guy had a passion for horses and would be happiest doing nothing else besides breeding and raising magnificent beasts such as his own destrier. Meanwhile, Guy learned that despite Marian's outspoken ways, all she really wanted was to settle down and raise a family. She loved children, and being an only child, she had always wanted siblings to play with.

"I still value my independence, though," Marian explained. "And I refuse to be _just_ a wife and mother, merely content to sit by the hearth with my embroidery and do nothing else. I want to be a true helpmate to my husband – to you, Guy."

"I agree," he replied. "Your spirit is what attracted me to you in the first place, after all, and I wouldn't see that broken, not for a king's ransom!"

Marian smiled, and the tension between them was broken as they began to talk of less serious matters. By the time the candles had burned to a taper, Marian had seen Guy laugh more in that one evening than she ever had in all the years they had known each other, and she realized, then, how little she actually knew about the man who was now her husband. Making a silent promise to herself, Marian vowed that she wouldn't let this opportunity go to waste; Guy had changed, that much was obvious, and it was now up to her to help him keep to the path that he had chosen in marrying her.

Rising to her feet, Marian held her hand out to Guy, who looked from it to her in wonder before eventually threading their fingers together and following behind Marian up the stairs to their private room. They made love by the light of the moon, its silvery beams shining through the open window and flooding the bed chamber as Guy moved within Marian, kissing down along the side of her neck and smoothing her hair as they both reached their peak, climaxing in the same moment and calling the other's name. Guy then collapsed on top of her, clutching Marian all the closer to him as if he still feared that she might leave him.

"I love you, husband," Marian whispered sleepily as she settled her back against Guy's warm chest.

"I love you, too, wife," he replied, and Marian could hear the relief in his voice and the smile on his lips as he leaned forward to kiss her on the cheek.

The next morning, Marian woke much as she had the previous day: wrapped securely in Guy's arms, where any movement she might make caused him to tighten his vice-like grip on her. Where before his possessiveness might have frustrated Marian and led her to accusing him of viewing her as little more than a prize to be won, now she smiled and merely snuggled deeper into his embrace, enjoying the sense of security that being with him brought.

"We should get up and start our day; the Sheriff will be expecting me," said Guy, his rich deep voice in her ear startling Marian, who hadn't been aware of him wakening.

"Oh, right," she mumbled, her ruminative mood having been spoiled by his pronouncement.

"Of course, I'm not due at the Sheriff's for another hour or so. Would you like to browse around the market stalls in Nottingham for a little while?" Guy offered as recompense for disturbing their wedded bliss from the previous day.

"Are you trying to bribe me, Guy of Gisborne?" asked Marian, craning her head around to look him in the eye.

"That all depends. Is it working?" he responded with a cheeky smile and a wink.

"Yes," she said, her features softening, and Guy deemed it safe to give her a kiss good morning.

They rode out for town in short order, Marian lagging the closer they came to Nottingham. She wanted to keep Guy with her, and not just because she'd realized that she loved him and was _in_ love with him; but because she wanted to keep him away from the Sheriff and safe with her. Guy had confided that he was becoming more and more disenchanted with the Sheriff's ways, and Marian didn't want him falling back into old habits where he mindlessly did the Sheriff's bidding without a thought for his own soul, much less for those of the people he was persecuting.

Guy halted his horse and waited for Marian to catch up. "Going slower won't make me suddenly _not_ have to report to the Sheriff, love," he said once she was level with him. "It'll only make him mad. And I thought you were eager to avoid that."

"You're right," Marian sighed, all the fight seeming to leave her at once. "I just want you to be safe and away from him."

Riding as close to Marian's palfrey as he dared, Guy bent his head so that he and Marian were looking in each other's eyes. He smiled gently at her in understanding. "I know how you feel. I don't want you anywhere near him, either. But look at it this way: the sooner I go to see him, the sooner I'll be dismissed, and then you and I can spend the rest of the day together."

"Do you mean that, Guy? Really?" asked Marian, her eyes wide and desperate.

Guy felt guilty for making her worry so. He knew how she felt about the Sheriff; he was starting to feel the much same way himself. And yet, he couldn't help wondering if Marian might not be better off alone, unattached as she had been before he entered her life. If you loved someone, that person became a liability, someone to worry about and protect. He had decided long ago that love was a weakness. But then he met Marian, and his whole outlook on life had been changed. He grew to love her more than life itself, and would now willingly die for her.

"I promise," he said, stretching out a hand to cup her cheek, tenderly stroking the smooth skin with the pad of his thumb. "There's nowhere I'd rather be than with you, my heart."

Marian leaned over the side of her saddle to meet Guy halfway, their lips moving in tandem as they melded together, tongues slipping and sliding against each other. Pulling away so that her breath puffed teasingly in Guy's face, Marian whispered, "I'll hold you to that, Gisborne."

Guy smiled back at her, and they continued on their way, sitting tall in the saddle and shooting sly glances at the other out of the corner of their eyes. They reached the gates of Nottingham and were escorted to the market by a pair of armed guards, who then took Guy and Marian's horses up to the castle while the couple strolled through the variety of stalls selling their wares. They hadn't been there long when they became aware of someone following them, a mysterious stranger who kept his hood up. Rolling her eyes in exasperation, Marian tugged Guy into the nearest alley and waited for Robin to join them. Once he had, she proceeded to give him a thorough tongue-lashing.

"I thought I made it clear yesterday, _Hood_," spat Marian, "that you were supposed to stay away from us. Although I still consider you a friend, and while we may have once been betrothed, I've made my choice and it's not you. It's Guy."

"You heard the lady, Hood," said Guy, an unmistakable note of pride in his voice as he wrapped an arm around Marian's waist and pulled her flush against his side. "Now get out of our sight before I raise the alarm."

"Marian," pleaded Robin, ignoring Guy completely. "You're making a mistake. Please listen to me."

"Why should I, when you never listen to me?" snapped Marian. "Time and again I've said that I would marry Guy, whether I agreed to the engagement under duress or not. Now that I have, I respectfully ask that you leave us in peace!"

Robin watched her closely, and then seemed to deflate. "You're really serious about staying with him, aren't you?"

"I am," Marian replied promptly. "I love him, Robin. I wish you could see that."

"I'm beginning to," said Robin, and with that, he disappeared back into the crowded marketplace, throwing up his hood to cover his head and face as he went.

"Do you think we've seen the last of him?" asked Guy, deferring to Marian's judgment, as she'd known the man longer.

"No." Marian shook her head decisively. "But I think he'll be more reasonable now that he knows how serious I am about you."

"For which I'm glad," said Guy, his arm tightening around her waist for the briefest of moments as he bent to kiss the top of her hair. "We should head up to the castle now. Would you like to visit your father after the Sheriff's through with us?"

"That sounds ominous," Marian joked weakly. "Yes, I'd love to see Father. I know he was worried about me marrying you, and about how you would respond to the revelation that I'm the Night Watchman. I want to assure him that I'm fine – we both are – and that I'm much happier married to you than either of us thought I would be."

Guy smiled at her – strange how marriage had changed his countenance, how much happier he was with Marian than he had ever been on his own – and, taking her hand in his, set off for the castle. Entering the Great Hall, they were greeted by the Sheriff, who had risen to his feet upon their entrance. "Ah, Gisborne," he cried, "And Lady Leper, of course."

Guy's body immediately went tense, as though prepared to attack the Sheriff for his comment against Marian, while the lady herself merely placed a restraining hand on his wrist and inclined her head towards the Sheriff. "Sir Sheriff," she replied evenly, her voice betraying no emotion.

The Sheriff was in surprisingly high spirits despite his humiliation at the hands of Robin Hood, and soon dismissed Guy and Marian, though only after making some very crude suggestions as to what Gisborne could do with his time off. His temper barely under control, Guy wrapped his arm possessively around Marian's waist and hurriedly led her from the hall, eager to be off. Edward's company had always been much preferred to the Sheriff's, even before his and Marian's marriage.

Only once they were well away from Nottingham did Guy seem to relax, breathing heavily through flared nostrils before finally reining his horse to a halt. Glancing over at Marian, he discovered her watching him worriedly. "I'm alright – _now_," he hastened to assure her. "The Sheriff has never been shy about making his opinion of women known, but I thought he would show you a little more respect than _that_!"

"I'm not bothered by his behavior," said Marian, drawing her horse closer to Guy's and placing a gloved hand atop his. "In truth, I expected something of this nature. Robin publically humiliated him the other day, and he has to save face somehow. I'd rather it wasn't by calling me names, but that's tame compared to what he could do. Let it go, Guy, please. He's not worth antagonizing."

Guy sighed heavily before nodding in agreement, seeing the sense to Marian's words. He wasn't in a position to challenge the Sheriff and win – not yet, anyway. "Come on," he said, nodding briskly as he nudged his horse into a trot and then a canter. "Let's go and see your father."

Following in Guy's wake, Marian's horse broke into a gallop at her rider's urging, passing Guy in a cloud of dust. Marian turned to look behind and saw her husband with his head thrown back in laughter, before he abruptly flattened himself against his horse's neck and bent low in the saddle so that he and the horse were practically one. He quickly gained on her so that he was hot on her heels, and the race was on, ending only with their arrival in the courtyard at Knighton, the clattering hooves of their horses startling everyone in the vicinity and causing the lord Edward to run outside in alarm, his sword drawn.

"Peace, Father," called Marian. "Everything's fine."

Guy swung down from the saddle and approached Marian, holding out his arms to accept her weight as she slid down to the ground. Then, in full view of her father, he kissed her soundly on the lips. Pulling away, he smiled softly down at her, and wrapping an arm around her waist, led Marian to the entrance of Knighton Manor, where he presented her to Edward. "I've brought your daughter to see you, sir," he said, fully bowing his head in deference to his father-in-law's standing.

"You look well, Marian," said Edward, lightly embracing her and giving her the kiss of peace on both cheeks.

"I am well, Father," Marian replied, her smile almost blinding. "As is my husband."

Edward looked between the two of them, his gaze shrewd as he observed how both seemed aware of their partner's presence without even seeing the other with their own eyes. Perhaps he hadn't made such a terrible mistake after all in giving away his only daughter to this man, Guy of Gisborne. However their engagement had come about, they seemed happy enough, and that's all he'd ever wanted for Marian.

"If you'll excuse me," said Guy, bowing his head once more as he made to leave. "I'm sure you both have much to discuss, so if you need me, I'll be with the horses."

"There's no need for you to exile yourself to the barn, Guy," said Marian, leaving her father's side to stand by Guy.

"No, please, do come in," said Edward, remembering his manners and gesturing for both to precede him into the house. "I'm glad to see you both, truly. Knighton has been rather lonely without you here, Marian, despite you're only having been gone a day."

"I miss you, Father," said Marian, winding her arm through his, "and Knighton. But my home is with Guy now, and I'm much happier than I thought I'd be. He knows about my being the Night Watchman, and he's agreed to support me in keeping my secret."

Edward turned to look at Guy with eyes that were still as sharp as ever, rather than dulled by age. "So, you've been taking care of my daughter, then, have you?"

"Yes, sir, I have," said Guy, bowing his head for the third time since entering.

"Making her happy, are you?"

"To the best of my ability, sir," Guy replied.

Nodding once, sharply, Edward turned his attention back to Marian. "He is _good_ to you, isn't he?" he asked somewhat hesitantly. "Your mother and I... we grew to love each other, but only after you came along. And although you were what had brought us together, I wanted for you to be able to love and respect your partner from the very beginning, for who he was rather than for what he could provide you with."

Marian and Guy shared a look from over Edward's head. Taking her father's hands in his, Marian said, "Guy and I love each other, Father, although I think he might have loved me first. And while I may not have meant my vows as I was saying them during the ceremony, now I mean them with all my heart. I both love and am in love with Guy; I love and am loved by Guy. We are happy together and will be so forever, I know it."

"That's all I want to hear," said Edward, fully embracing Marian as he hadn't when she first arrived. Releasing her, he then moved on to Guy, opening his arms to the leather-clad knight. "My son," he whispered, his grip firm, whereas Guy would have expected it to be lax. Marian smiled, watching the two men in her life embrace each other whole-heartedly.

She and Guy wound up staying until late in the afternoon, Edward regaling them with stories of when Marian was a young child and determined to learn how to fight like a man. Guy laughed until tears ran down his cheeks, and Marian laughed along with him, despite having heard this and other such stories many times before. Eventually, though, they were forced to excuse themselves and take their leave of Edward, summoning their horses and setting off for Locksley.

Marian looked behind her, once, at what she was leaving behind, before facing forward in the direction of her new home and the future it held for both herself and Guy. Life would always be uncertain, especially in this troubling time for Nottingham and its people, but the promise of tomorrow gave her hope and the strength to carry on. Smiling innocently in Guy's direction, she heeled her horse to a gallop and raced ahead to greet the coming day.


End file.
